This invention relates to a perimetrical watch protector which incorporates a perimetrical protector or guard portion located adjacent the perimeter of the crystal of the watch, and being so formed as to isolate said crystal from abrasive contact.
There are numerous prior art devices intended to accomplish the desirable end of crystal protection, among them being applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,660 and the various patents included in the list of prior art references supplied with this application.
Although our '660 patent discloses a watch protector which is a major advance over the prior art in that it is, among other advantages, centrally located over the crystal to isolate the crystal from abrasive contact, it is possible that the crystal may be abrasively engaged at the edges of the crystal.
Moreover, our prior art device discloses a centrally-located guard member which prevents the reading of the watch hands when they are located in the central position on the watch. This is not a major disadvantage in that the owner of the watch can determine from other conditions what the location of the hands should be. However, if the watch has stopped in this critical position, it will be some time before perception of such stoppage occurs.
Other prior art devices include metal shells which cover the face of the watch making the reading of the time, as indicated by hands of the watch, extremely difficult.
These metal shells are intended to convert a pocket watch into a wrist watch, but do not afford any protection to the crystal of the watch since they are disposed outwardly of the crystal and are located, generally, in the plane of the crystal.
The protection of the crystal of the watch becomes extremely important when, as in many high-fashion or mass-produced watches, the crystal is fabricated from synthetic plastics and, thus, is more prone to be readily abraded or scratched, thus obscuring portions of the watch face and, in addition, detracting from the decorative effect of the watch.